


Eren's Valentine

by moricat



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Normal High School, High School, Love Confessions, M/M, Romance, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff, modern American high school AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 07:23:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13608435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moricat/pseuds/moricat
Summary: Eren gets a valentine from his not-at-all-secret admirer, Armin, and struggles to hear out his feelings.Happy Valentine’s Day! Eremin forever!^^<3333





	Eren's Valentine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RamblingMegome](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RamblingMegome/gifts).



Valentine's Day was finally here. Armin had been taking deep breaths in and out all day, trying to stay calm, but struggled to defeat his anxiety. Ever since he'd met Eren that day by the vending machines outside last month, he'd been absolutely taken with him, grew completely enraptured by him, and fell totally and irretrievably in love with him... The very vision of his dream guy appeared before him and he was everything Armin ever could've hoped for and yet everything he didn't even realize he wanted. Eren was clumsy, awkward, deceptively grumpy, and off-putting, but so very sweet, so caring, so brave, so strong, so passionate... Armin believed heroes didn't exist, they were only something to dream about in fairy tales and action flicks. But now, he felt like dreams really could come true, because a hero was right there in front of him, shyly rejecting his eager request to watch 21 Jump Street but ultimately proving to be nothing short of amazing. 

Armin had struggled to present his feelings, they were too overwhelming for him to really know what to do with them, and finally Marco told him "Why don't you just tell Eren how you feel?"

Armin blushed as he jittered. "Eh?! But I feel like I've already made it so obvious! Maybe I should just accept that his reluctance means he has no interest in me..."

Marco raised an eyebrow over his smirk. "Mmmh... I think you should just _try_ telling him very explicitly. I rather think it's just been going right over his head."

Armin was almost too afraid to hope for that. "You think so? It's possible he's just confused?"

Marco couldn't help the chuckle in his voice, for Armin was too in love to see Eren as the airhead that he certainly believed was. "Yeah. I think so. Try telling him directly. Then see what happens." he told him with a nudge.

Armin went home after that and got to thinking. Valentine's Day was just around the corner, so he decided to make his formal confession in the form of a valentine card, one that really expressed his heart's true desires to the incredible green eyed boy he adored... And he poured all his efforts into several attempts to do so.

Now, it was the 14th. The moment of truth. Armin finished passing out his little store bought valentines to all his friends and was ready to give Eren his when the final class was dismissed. He clutched the big red envelope in his hands as tight as he could without bending or damaging it and just waited by the lockers for Eren to arrive at his... And soon enough, there he was. As tall and as handsome as ever, acting aloof, looking incredibly bored, that same disinterested look in eyes as usual, like they were just waiting for someone to light the wild fire that Armin knew was just lying dormant inside him. Armin beamed and blushed, swallowing the lump of fear in his throat and ran towards him.

"Hey, Eren!..." he called as he unconsciously placed his hand on Eren's arm before quickly retracting it upon realizing that he had.

Eren looked up from his backpack-stuffing at the little blond who'd come to greet him yet again. "Ah. You again."

Armin inhaled once more to soothe his anxiety for Eren's simple response, and began his little presentation. "Um... Eren, I-- I wanted to- give you this." he said as he handed Eren the envelope trembling in his dainty hands.

Eren took it, mindlessly taking note of it's rather big size, and read his name across the front, written in very pretty handwriting.

"It's a valentine I made just for you. I wanted to, um... give you something special. Because you're very special to me. The note explains everything better, but-- I like you, Eren. I like you a lot. Like- _like you_ , like you..." he confessed most ungracefully, as he squeezed the backpack straps resting on his little shoulders. He wished English had more phrases for the types of affection one feels for a person like Japanese did, so he wouldn't have to stumble through his confession like some little kid in a bad sitcom. "I just think you're so great and... I just wanted you to know, if you didn't already. For whatever that's worth."

Eren listened... and nodded. "Alright, well, I'll open this when I get home." he told him nonchalantly with only a small blush crowning his cheeks as he stuffed the envelope into his backpack, on top of the other couple of valentines he'd gotten that day.

Armin jumped in to add "W-Wait! Wait, here, I have 4 more to give you!". He quickly unzipped his backpack to dig out the prototypes he'd deemed less worthy of his hero and handed them to him nervously, noting that Eren's indifferent expression remained unchanged. "I tried really hard to make you one that was as good as you deserve, and that one was the best I could manage, but you should still have these others too..."

Eren took the others from Armin’s shaky hands, a little uncomfortable with this amount of affection. Did this little guy really think he somehow didn’t get the hint that he had a crush on him? "Alright then." he concluded, and nodded again before turning to leave for home, leaving the glassy-eyed boy there alone.

Armin watched as Eren turned the corner and then immediately began bumping his head against the lockers in embarrassment... The honest approach was such a hard one but if he wanted to be Eren's boyfriend, he certainly didn't want to begin their relationship with dishonesty. And he wanted to be with Eren so badly that he couldn't help showing it anyway... And of course Eren was welcome to reject him but still, it hurt to be rejected no matter how one sliced it. He moaned against the cold metal, overcome with the ache in his heart. He really loved him... 

\--

Eren came home without a word and tossed his backpack by the couch. The house was empty, indicating his mother had probably gone to the store, leaving Eren a quiet evening to himself. He planned to go on about his routine as usual, but he stopped and looked down at his backpack for a short moment. He bent down and unzipped the pocket to pull out the big red envelope Armin handed to him by the lockers. He stared at it briefly, expression still unchanging... and tossed it on the couch cushion before walking on into the kitchen to prepare a snack. With his snack cooking in the oven a few minutes later, he passed by the couch again and glanced at the red envelope still resting there untouched, but continued walking. A few minutes later, he passed by it again on his way back to the kitchen, now in just his comfy plain t-shirt and red boxers, and glanced at the envelope once more as he walked on to retrieve his snack from the oven. After gathering his sustenance, he finally returned to the living room to unwind. With his plate in one hand and the tv remote in the other, he settled down into the couch, legs and feet folded under him comfortably. And he glanced at the envelope again... but ultimately decided to continue ignoring it, and turned on the tv to channel surf for a while. Still though, he couldn't help peering at it every now and then from the corner of his eye.

At around 5 o'clock, Eren stood up with a stretch and vacuumed up his crumbs off the cushion with the DustBuster he kept beside the couch, not because his mother told him to, but because he hated to see himself leave a mess behind. In doing so, however, he knocked the envelope onto the floor. He turned the vacuum off and casually returned it to its place to pick up the envelope and held it in his hands for a long moment. He studied it again, studied the pretty way Armin wrote his name, curious too as to why whatever was in here required such a big envelope. The gears in back of his mind turned in thought about what it might say as he stood there in silence, still with that dull expression, before finally deciding to pick up his backpack and carry himself, and the envelope, upstairs to his room. He tossed the backpack on the bed, set the envelope by his pillow, and hopped onto the mattress, intending to start on his homework before dinner, but still that darn valentine preyed on his focus...

After several minutes of trying to do his algebra assignment, he tapped his pencil mindlessly on the paper, well aware he was no longer thinking of numbers or homework, but rather working kind of hard to _not_ think about Armin's valentine. He looked over at it again, just sitting there with Eren's name face up in the silence of his room. His expression still didn't change, but his eyebrows began to furrow a little bit with curiosity...

Finally, he tossed his math homework aside and picked up the envelope in his big tawny hands. He studied his name again, wondering what it was like to be Armin, having such soft feminine handwriting and wondering too about this envelope and what it could possibly have in store. It took him a moment to realize it, but the envelope actually wasn't store-bought; it was handmade! That was certainly an impressive extra step, he thought. No glue or tape either, it was just fancily-folded red paper. That was... also impressive, he had to admit. And at last, he opened it, and pulled out a big card, and a letter...

Eren looked down at the card itself. It was absolutely beautiful! Armin had constructed it with some very appealing paper covered in a colorful looking red and gold floral pattern and in outlined letters, it read _"I love you!"_. But if that weren't enough, Eren noticed the center of the card seemed to part in a strange way. He pulled it apart which opened it to a new message! _"I adore you!"_ , lettered over a blue and white ocean pattern. Eren's eyes widened. That was like magic! And there was yet another part? He pulled at this one too and found _another_ message: _"You're amazing!"_ lettered over a green and gold forest pattern. Eren was now grinning wide and bright for how cool this card was, and grew excited to find yet one more part. He opened it to read _"You're my hero!"_ lettered over a red and gold roaring dragon pattern. Eren happily opened the infinite card over and over, again and again, reading the infinite words with a smile. It was something he never could've imagined getting! He'd never seen anything like this... He then picked up the love letter, handwritten as beautifully as the name on the envelope, on romantic looking ocean themed stationary, and rather nervously began reading...

_Dear Eren..._

_It's been about a month since we've known each other and I wish we'd been closer by now, but... I wanted to give you this valentine anyway. Ever since I met you I've thought you were truly amazing. One of a kind! A hero, a wonder... and yet you're someone as ordinary as a fellow sophomore in the hallways passing by me at a vending machine. It's amazing! I know you don't see it, but I do, plain as day. You're bubbling with passion and fire and strength and I truly believe that you're exactly what this cruel world needs. I never had hope for the future before but after meeting you... I just find myself overflowing with it. You inspire so much in me, and make me feel like things are going to be okay. Thank you so much for that... Forgive me, but, if I may wish just one more thing from you, I hope to be friends with you. It's alright if you don't want that, but you do seem so lonely to me. And I really want to help you cheer up by showing you all the things I can think of that might excite you and make you happy. I want to see you light up and smile! I want to see you feel passion for something fun and hear you laugh. Will you please tell me if there's anything I can do to make that happen? And if there isn't, then I wish you to find it elsewhere because you deserve it. You deserve nothing short of the happiest life you can imagine. Please believe in yourself the way I believe in you._

_Love, Armin._

Eren's happy expression had turned to one of desperate confusion... Aching confusion. He quickly pulled Armin’s other valentines out to read the rest of them, (never even minding the ones he’d gotten from some other classmates which fell into the floor). One envelope contained five sheets of pre-creased and folded origami paper, and instructions on how to fold them together into hearts to reveal a message: _"I-love-you"_. Another contained a pretty, but blank card meant for love notes... and a tiny blacklight pen that revealed a secret message written on the card in invisible ink: " _I love you, Eren. You're amazing. Be true to yourself. :)"_. Another contained a folded paper fortune teller with several messages to explore, throughout all the corners _; "My Hero!"_ , _"You're Amazing!"_ , _"My Love!"_ , _"My Dream!"_ ; and all the folds, _"I love your eyes!"_ , _"Will you go to the beach with me sometime?"_ , _"You're so intriguing!"_ , _"Can we watch the sunset together?"_ , _"You're a vision of strength!"_ , _"Will you watch a movie with me?"_ , _"You are my hope..."_ , _"Can we please be friends?"_. Eren was growing dizzy... This was all becoming overwhelming. Finally he opened the last envelope, and found a simple card inside with a red heart painted on it... and a funny looking coin with a hole in it taped just above it. Armin had drawn an arrow next to it that pointed to the heart, indicating to Eren that he should scratch the paint away and reveal a message: _"I love you... Thank you for being my hero. Please be true to yourself. Love, Armin."_

 _Love, Armin. Love, Armin. Love, Armin._ Eren felt like he'd read those words a thousand times now!

 _"God dammit..."_ he grunted, his eyebrows furrowing and his hands shaking in frustration as he grit his teeth and gripped the last card. _"God dammit!"_ He shut his eyes and tossed the valentines aside in a fit as he fell back into the bed with a rough bounce. "God dammit!... _Why?!_ _Why does he think I'm so great?..._ " he whined, tears pooling in his eyes as he stared up at the ceiling...

Eren tried to avoid Armin's company ever since that day they met. It wasn't necessarily that he didn't like Armin, but Armin was so instantly infatuated with him and Eren just couldn't understand it. He'd watched him from afar for a long time, inexplicably intrigued by him, and he only meant to finally ask why he lets people bully him, but wound up becoming some sort of hero just for punching someone who deserved it. And now Armin was calling him the greatest thing in the world, when Eren couldn't feel farther from such an honor. Armin was smart, wasn't he? He should know better than to indulge in nonsense like love at first sight. Let alone the idea that Eren was some kind of a hero. What the hell could he possibly see to make him think Eren was anything but an average ordinary empty headed brat? Maybe his glasses were just fucked up. To be that pretty little blond guy's hero... it was too much to hope for. None of those things Armin said made any sense to Eren. How could he like him so much? How could he see him in such a wondrous light? How could he see any of these things in him that Eren himself just couldn't?

Eren rose up from the bed and stood up to walk over and look at himself in the mirror on his dresser. He looked at his empty distressed face. His eyes were lightless and he had wrinkles by his mouth from constantly frowning. His arms weren't very muscular and his haircut was plain. He felt like he looked so dull. Just a domestic, bored high school student with nothing but anger to give. Being that hopeful boy's hero... Yes, it was too much. Eren couldn't bear to dare believing in it. He had to prepare his rejection to him tomorrow, to just end this mess already, once and for all...

\--

Armin held himself as he stood by the lockers the next morning, waiting patiently for Eren to arrive. This was it. He'd either be rejected or accepted and either way he'd have to move forward after this. He buried his face in his hands. Why did crushing on Eren hurt so much and yet feel so wonderful at the same time? Suddenly, he heard soft-shoed foot steps approaching and turned to see that Eren had arrived. It would all begin or end here... "Ah... Good morning, Eren..."

Eren only stared in silence, looking upset, his expression somewhere between sick and annoyed. And Armin noticed him clutching the letter from his valentine in a fist.

Armin gripped at his sleeves anticipating what was to come... but ultimately found himself unable to bear the awkward, intimidating silence any longer. "Eren, I'm sorry for coming on so strong, I'll accept any answer you give me, even if it's just you walking away... I can take it." he pleaded meekly, his glassy eyes seeming like they were going to shatter with heartbreak from behind his annoying spectacles. "So... What is it?"

Eren looked down at him, a frown on his lips and his fuzzy eyebrows furrowed. He'd planned his little speech before he came here. _Dude, you are hopelessly lost. Why would you make someone you barely know 5 elaborate valentines professing your love to them? And where do you get off making all these assertions about me? Why do you think you saw something in me in 2 seconds that I wouldn't have seen in 15 years? What is it you even think you see? I’m not your goddamn hero!!! Why can't you just look at the facts and move on?! How can you see me as one?!!_

Armin stared, wet eyes shining from the tears building up in them, still waiting for his rejection.

But Eren remained silent. His speech flowed through his head again and again, and yet the words wouldn't come out. His heart was aching... And the ache worsened the more he thought about it. He had every intention of rejecting this blue eyed boy and yet he couldn't even begin. Why was that?... 

Eren watched as Armin swallowed a lump in his throat, looking like his final faint but precious glimmer of hope for love was about to be extinguished. And in that moment Eren realized... he didn't want to reject him. His fist relaxed, dropping the love note to the ground, and the angry speech in his head disappeared completely. His expression softened and his voice fell so gently on Armin's ears. "I'm sorry... I don't know how to respond to your valentines." he began, unsurprised to find that these were the true, honest words he’d really wanted to say all along. "They're too much for me. I don't have the words to respond to them to return the favor. I can't even begin to tell you how I feel. I'm so sorry. But for now, I guess what I can give you... is this."

The next thing Armin knew, a pair of plush, warm lips were pressing against his. His big eyes widened, his brain tried to process what was happening but for once, it couldn't think. A second passed. Maybe two? And Eren was still there, still kissing him, seemingly not intending to leave anytime soon. It wasn’t a dream then. This was really happening! Somehow, some way, the amazing Eren Yeager was kissing him. Armin finally closed his eyes to indulge in this gift of a moment and gingerly slipped his trembling hands over Eren's back while those soft lips continued to explore his.

Eren was so clumsy at kissing him. His mouth would open too wide, his teeth knocked on Armin's, spit brushed over the corners of their mouths and their lips, and he wasn't sure what to do with his tongue.

And yet, bad kiss or not, Armin cherished every second. His heart beat so hard and so fast, he worried he may pass out before too long, (in which case, he would only hope that Eren would catch him.)

Eren grew light headed, and only when he felt like he may be sick if he kept indulging in these suddenly overwhelming emotions did he finally pull away from the lingering boy's lips that hung onto his for as long as they could. And he marveled at the look on the blushing blond's face that he'd left behind. He looked so airy and light, so ethereal and beautiful... And when the courageous dizzy boy opened his blue eyes again to look into Eren’s, Eren felt like an arrow had shot right through his heart. Those glowing oceanic eyes put the stars to shame and every diamond too. Eren couldn't help reaching out and removing his glasses to look at them full view... It was the most inspiring sight he had ever seen. And then, Eren he did something he'd never really done before: put on a big, wide, dazzling smile, the kind romantic heroes would envy, and the one from Armin's dreams... just for him. A presentation never before seen by anyone was now exclusively Armin’s to love.  

And at last, the bell rang.

Eren sighed, but his lips still curled up in a smile. He had a lot to look forward to, after all. He glanced down and picked up the love letter that he'd dropped, planning to hold onto it forever now. He then tapped lightly up against Armin's chin, treasuring the way the little blond kept leaning in like he wanted to be closer. "See you after class." he purred.

Armin's voice cracked as he finally managed a response. "Ye-ahh..."

Eren turned to leave but stopped short, quickly turning back to tell Armin before he forgot, "Thank you for all the valentines! They were _perfect_..."

Armin blushed again. He'd stayed up all night preparing those valentines, working so hard to keep them interactive and enticing for Eren, finally deciding that an infinite card that would tell him his feelings forever would be the best choice. It was such a labor of love for which he expected nothing in return, not even real appreciation. And yet... "You're welcome." he told him with a humble smile.

Eren simpered and held his hand up to wave goodbye before finally leaving for class. As he sat at his desk, he found himself high on the greatest feeling he'd ever felt. He was looking _forward_ to something. To _Armin_. Looking forward to what wonders Armin might have to show him, to what sorts of things they could share in, and maybe he’d even discover what it was Armin seemingly saw in him. If it was good enough to warrant that much love, then maybe there was something in him after all. His heartbeat pounded at such a funny rhythm that made him smile to himself in his seat. What a feeling... He had a lot to look forward to indeed. And this was a feeling he could not wait to pursue.

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant as a second part to Megu san's birthday present, so I hope she enjoyed some part of this<3 *hugs*


End file.
